Horse Racing

A crowd of 30,472 attended re-opening day at Hialeah Park near Miami, raising hopes that the jewel of Florida tracks will prosper during its 50-day meet.

The crowd broke Hialeah’s opening day attendance record of 28,945 set in 1971 and generated a handle of $2,106,558.

“I’m shocked out of my socks,” said Hialeah’s owner, John J. Brunetti, who added that he had hoped for a turnout of 15,000. “This is beyond our wildest expectations.”

Poor attendance forced Brunetti to close the track 23 months ago after only 25 days of a 158-day winter meeting. Deregulation of racing dates in 1989 allowed nearby Calder Race Course to operate simultaneously; this time, Hialeah has 50 exclusive dates.